NBA Trade Speculation: 5 Most Expendable Players of the Utah Jazz

2011 has already been a year of change for the Utah Jazz. First, they lost their Hall of Fame Coach, Jerry Sloan. Then came the departure of Deron Williams via trade. Additions of Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter and Alec Burks were also major changes to the franchise.

Utah is also in a vulnerable position due to free agency. Many different players are not under contract for the 2011-2012 season, including Andrei Kirilenko. No doubt that some of those players will sign elsewhere and Utah will sign some different players of their own.

There may also be changes due to trade for the Utah Jazz. Here is a list of the five players that are the most expendable for Utah and could be dealt.

Raja Bell

Raja Bell is definitely an expendable player for the Utah Jazz. At age 34, he is the oldest player currently on the Jazz roster. He is also coming off one of the worst seasons of his career.

Bell had his lowest scoring average since 2003, a season in which he primarily came off the bench. With only eight points per game, Bell is no longer a viable starting shooting guard. He also had a below average in rebounds, three-point percentage and assists.

He may not get a lot of interest in the trade market, but could be a throw in with someone like Paul Millsap or Devin Harris. If the Jazz decide to keep Bell, don't be surprised to see his minutes go down and probably come off the bench.

C.J. Miles

C.J. Miles is heading in the opposite direction of Raja Bell. In his sixth year in the league and with the Jazz, Miles posted many career highs and had his best season as a pro.

Miles had a career high in minutes played, rebounding, assists, blocks, steals and points. It was by far his best season. His 12 points per game were much more than he has had in any other season.

His salary is about the same as Raja Bell's, but Miles should get more trade value than the older and declining Bell. With all of this info what makes Miles expendable to the Jazz? The fact is that C.J will never be a star, and Gordon Hayward and Alec Burks seem to have much more upside than Miles. He is not a necessity for the Jazz, and in the right trade scenario, Miles could find a new home.

Devin Harris

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Devin Harris was sent over to Utah in the Deron Williams trade from New Jersey. He is a good point guard and has made an All-Star appearance. He is not as good as Williams, but he is a top-15 NBA point guard.

That being said, Harris does have trade value and is somewhat expendable for the Jazz. The only way he is expendable is if the Jazz get another good point guard in return. Harris is the only point guard currently under contract and unless they get another point guard Harris will stay in Utah.

He is expendable and replaceable with another point guard and is therefore expendable to Utah. He is, however, the least likely to be traded on this list due to lack of depth at that position for Utah.

Mehmet Okur

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The Jazz have more talent than most teams up front. They have a plethora of big man talent, and somebody needs to be moved. Okur is one of the names on that list.

Memo missed most of the 2010-2011 season due to injury, and he is not getting any younger. The former All-Star has seen his best days in the NBA. That being said, Okur still has value in the trade market.

He is an excellent outside shooter and can spread the floor very well. He is not a typical big man and can cause problems for the defense. The Jazz will most likely move one or more big men for a talented wing player, and Okur is the most expendable of all the big men on the roster. Don't be surprised to see him suit up for a different team post-lockout.

Paul Millsap

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Paul Millsap has shown great strides since coming onto the NBA out of Louisiana Tech. He is an excellent rebounder and an above average offensive player. He is a great talent and deserves a great career in the NBA.

He, like Okur, is an expendable big man on the Utah Jazz roster. He is much smaller than Kanter, Favors and Al Jefferson. He is a hard worker underneath, but his smaller size gives him a challenge guarding bigger power forwards such as Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki or Lamarcus Aldridge.

Millsap is the most valuable player on this list on the trade market and could be a part of a major trade this offseason. Millsap is a Utah fan favorite, and rightfully so, but his days in Utah could be shorter than most people think.